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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26593216">lullabies and clear blue skies</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazyfish/pseuds/lazyfish'>lazyfish</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Springmagpies/pseuds/Springmagpies'>Springmagpies</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adopted Children, F/M, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, no i mean i literally cried because this was so fluffy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:27:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26593216</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazyfish/pseuds/lazyfish, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Springmagpies/pseuds/Springmagpies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>While raising their adopted daughters, Fitz and Bobbi come together as a unit. They act as a team, sing their daughters to sleep, and work through past anxieties, finding clear blue skies as a family</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Leo Fitz/Bobbi Morse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zuziuchna/gifts">Zuziuchna</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been quite awhile since Fitz had felt this at peace. He and Bobbi had found a nice house out in Suburbia, or what Bobbi called Boho Suburbia, where all the houses were from different eras and overgrown trees lined the sidewalks. They had also--after months of discussion and anticipation--adopted two adorable young girls. The two of them were the sweetest things Fitz and Bobbi had ever seen. Bright and kind hearted with curious minds and fierce spirits, they quickly took to the girls and the girls quickly took to them. </p><p>The older one, at age eight, was like a little songbird, hopping about the house on her toes with a million stories to tell and endless songs to sing. She talked with her hands, arms flying out either side of her when she was excited, her dark hair falling in her face. She immediately connected with both of her new parents, but she connected with Bobbi especially. The two of them were birds of a feather, Bobbi even promising to teach her some fighting skills. </p><p>The younger, on the other hand, was much more shy. At seven, she was soft spoken and easily frightened, choosing to cling to pant legs more than fly about. However, she was endlessly curious, her inquisitive blue eyes examining everything about her with great care, her slightly gapped teeth biting her lip. She had been more nervous at first than her sister, especially when it got dark outside. The first night she stayed with them, she woke from a fitful sleep, tears in her eyes and her little lips trembling. Fitz had been the one to cure the nightmares, realizing immediately that she was scared of the dark. The night light had helped, but it was truly the stuffed monkey he and Bobbi had gotten her a few days later that warded off the bad dreams. From then on, the little one was stuck to Fitz like a monkey to a tree. </p><p>Despite the happiness Fitz felt in his life away from S.H.I.E.L.D, content with his wife and daughters, nervousness still wormed its way into his stomach every now and again; his fear of disappointing Bobbi, his anxiety around being a new father, his worry that at some point he’d let them all down. He knew his wife had the mothering thing on lock. Her good heart always went into everything she did and her strength often kept both their heads above the rough patches of parenting. As much as she might not know it, Bobbi had mothering in her blood. He knew it from the first night they had had the girls.</p><p>The day had gone well, with lots of time in the bright sunshine and an evening spent making dinner together. The girls had enjoyed the meal they had had a hand in making and, even though they were a tad nervous, seemed eager to stay in their room. The beds had been freshly made, the sheets still a bit stiff from the dryer but cozy and smelling like fresh laundry detergent. Fitz’s mum had knitted blankets as a housewarming gift and the soft yellow and blue throws provided that extra welcoming touch to the room. Fitz had said goodnight to the girls, but Bobbi had wanted to see them off to sleep.</p><p>Fitz nodded, giving the girls a final goodnight wave. He wrapped his arm around Bobbi’s shoulder in a quick hug and kissed her cheek. She held onto his hand, pressing a kiss of her own to the palm before letting it go. </p><p>Shutting the door gently, Fitz slid down the slab of wood and listened in to what was happening in the room. Sure it could be considered eavesdropping, but he didn’t think Bobbi would mind too much.</p><p>“So, I was wondering if I could share something special with you before you go to sleep,” Bobbi began, her voice low but excited. Fitz could feel the warmth she exuded through the door.</p><p>The response was paired with an excited gasp. “Something special?” </p><p>“Yes, very special. A gift my mother would give to me every night. Music. Every night she’d sit by me and sing.”</p><p>“What sorts of songs?”</p><p>“All sorts of songs. Anything she liked. But mostly lullabies.”</p><p>“Can you sing them to us?”</p><p>“Of course,” Bobbi said in a stage whisper. </p><p>Closing his eyes, Fitz could picture her perched on the end of one of the girl’s beds, leaning in as she talked like they were all sitting around a campfire. The image in his mind, he was smiling before Bobbi even opened her mouth to sing. When she did, though, he fell that much more in love with her. Her voice was soft and the rendition of the song slow. The melody was sweet drenched in his wife’s voice and he leaned his head against the door to fully drink it in.</p><p>
  <em>I come from Alabama with</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A banjo on my knee</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm goin'to Louisiana</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My true love for to see</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh Susanna</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh don't you cry for me</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I've come from Alabama with</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My banjo on my knee</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It rained all night</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The day I left</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The weather it was dry</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The sun so hot I froze to death</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Susanna don't you cry</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh Susanna</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Don't you cry for me</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I've come from Alabama with</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My banjo on my knee</em>
</p><p>For some reason, Fitz felt tears start to tug at the back of his throat. Perhaps it was that she was singing it, but the lyrics reminded him so strongly of Bobbi that it made his heart clench. The day they reunited, after so many years apart. How much he had missed her. His mind wandering away from his vigil by the door, he only just caught the littlest one piping up for only the second time that day. She had been incredibly shy and had rarely given a verbal response, choosing instead to nod or shake her strawberry-blonde head side to side. But the music had gotten her to speak.</p><p>“Can you please sing another, Bobbi?”</p><p>“Of course, darling. Is there a specific one you’d like.”</p><p>“Just another one of your mummy’s.”</p><p>Bobbi responded with what Fitz knew must be a smile. “I’ve got just the one. My mother always made her own lyrics, but she kept true to the tune.”</p><p>
  <em>Oh my darling, oh my darling</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh my darling, Clementine</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I thought you lost and gone forever</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh my darling, Clementine.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In the meadow, through the forest</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Where we’d both be safe and fine</em>
</p><p>
  <em>With the sunbeams and the flowers</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I picked for you dear, Clementine</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh my darling, oh my darling</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh my darling, Clementine</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You were lost, but then I found you</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh my darling, Clementine</em>
</p><p>Fitz didn’t quite know what the original lyrics to the song were, but what Bobbi had replaced them with felt tied directly to them. They had thought the other gone for good, out of one another’s reach. But through the tangling brambles of life, they had found their meadow. </p><p>It was only a few moments later when he heard the lamp click off at the door swung open behind his back. Luckily, he had managed to keep himself upright instead of falling flat on his back like a numpty. </p><p>“You spying on me, love?” Bobbi teased, tiptoeing past him so she could shut the door. She offered him her hand and he took it gladly, his butt a bit sore from the hardwood floor.</p><p>He didn’t respond to her accusation, choosing instead to wrap his arms around her waist. “You’re great with them,” he whispered.</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>---</p><p>A couple weeks later at breakfast, the girls bounded into the kitchen. Light was streaming in through the window above the sink and the calming cream colored curtains softened the beams. Fitz was sitting at the table finishing up some paperwork on a project while Bobbi flicked through the morning headlines, her brow furrowed as she focused on the stories. </p><p>“Good morning Fitz and Bobbi!” the oldest burst as she skipped into the room. She was still in her prized pirate pajamas. Her hair was a mess of dark flyaways and her face was as bright as the morning sunshine outside. </p><p>Bobbi caught her as she came flying towards forward with her arms stretched out like wings. “Good morning little bird. How’re you this morning?”</p><p>“I’m extremely wonderful,” the girl beamed. </p><p>“Extremely wonderful! Well that’s extraordinary!” Bobbi’s eyes were wide, her brows reaching up into her hairline to match the little girl’s excitement. She tucked a lock of bed rumpled hair behind her little ear and booped her nose, making the girl chirp with laughter.  </p><p>From down the hall they heard the careful pitter patter of feet and a few moments later the youngest appeared in the kitchen, her stuffed monkey cradled in the crook of her elbow. She stood in the archway for a moment with her teeth digging into her lip, but upon seeing Fitz smile at her from the table she padded over to him and twisted her hand into the fabric of his sleeve. </p><p>Pulling her up onto his lap, he gave her a kiss on the top of her head. “G’morning monkey,” he said as she pressed her cheek into his chest. He could still see the imprint of her wrinkled pillowcase in the rosy bloom across her nose.  </p><p>Meanwhile, the oldest rocked on her toes with her arms behind her back. She looked like she was about to give a very important announcement, her chin high in the air. Both Fitz and Bobbi bit back smiles.</p><p>“Do you want to hear why I’m extremely wonderful?” she bubbled.</p><p>“Of course,” Bobbi replied, “why are you extremely wonderful this early morning?”</p><p>She pushed her hair off her face, the tucked away lock already falling in her eyes again, and smiled wide. “I’ve decided what I’d like to be called.”</p><p>Knowing that they wanted to adopt them, Fitz and Bobbi had been adamant about letting the girls pick their own names. It was their self identity and they wanted them to know that they could be whoever they wanted to be and be loved no matter what. After talking with them about it, they told the two they could take as much time as they needed to find the name they felt fit them best. They would help them if they asked and always be there to listen to any ideas. The little ones had asked if Fitz or Bobbi had any suggestions and they gave a hand full of names they liked. At some point it had been decided that Fitz and Bobbi would give them their middle names, names that tied them directly into their lives and their family while the girls picked their first names, the one that showed who they are as a unique individual. </p><p>They had come up with a fair few names, but judging by the presentation and that she was feeling extremely wonderful, it seemed the oldest had her name picked for certain.</p><p>“I’d like to be called Susanna Mackenzie Morse,” she declared. “Like your mummy’s song, Bobbi. And the name you both picked for your friend!”</p><p>She looked at them expectantly, waiting to see their reactions. Bobbi was quick to respond, saying how wonderful the name was and giving Susanna a big hug. Fitz was a little slower, still taken aback by the warmth that was radiating from his chest all across his skin. Susanna Mackenzie Morse. It was perfect. She was perfect. And regaining his wits, he told her so.</p><p>“That’s a perfect pick, Susanna,” he grinned, snuggling her close when she flew over to him.</p><p>She giggled. “I like it when you say it.”</p><p>“I like saying it,” he grinned.</p><p>As he ruffled Suzie’s hair, he felt another little tug on the collar of his jumper. </p><p>“Yes, monkey?” he said, glancing down into the big blue eyes.</p><p>The little one readjusted her hold on her monkey as she lightly turned his jaw, making it so his ear was now in a better position for her to whisper.</p><p>“I’ve picked a name too,” she said.</p><p>Fitz gave her a look of excited interest, his mouth forming an “oh” shape. “You have? That’s wonderful. Can I hear it?”</p><p>She bobbed her head. “Clementine.”</p><p>“My darling Clementine,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Her pink cheeks pulled into a smile and she ducked her head back comfortably under his chin. </p><p>“Clementine Aster,” Bobbi repeated, the middle name given for the other flower in their lives, Daisy. “Well that sounds as sweet summertime to me.” </p><p>Fitz didn’t miss the tears in her eyes and he could feel his own emotions piling somewhere at his nose. He gave a little sniff to try and ease the pressure, but it was no use. He was just too happy.</p><p>Susanna Mackenzie and Clementine Aster. Their daughters.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Life at the Morse house was happy, and Fitz was more than happy in it. He loved his wife more than words could truly do justice, and his daughters were better than he had ever dreamed. They were uniquely them. He knew, probably better than most, just how much a child becomes their own person right from the start. He was aware of some parents that had expectations for things their children would do or be or become, but he had always walked firmly away from that mindset. His children would be whatever they wanted, do whatever they wanted to do, and he as their father would help them in any way he could. Now, seeing his girls, he knew that they would be themselves no matter what. And the world was better for it. </p><p>They had a great female role model in Bobbi. She was an incredible mother and his belief that she had mothering in her blood was just confirmed day in and day out. Sure she had her slip ups, but parenting was harder than anyone or any book could prepare a person for. However, she handled each new hurdle with grace and right her wrongs as best as he’d seen any parent do.</p><p>His own abilities, on the other hand, Fitz was far less sure of. </p><p>It wasn’t as though he hadn’t had good parental figures. He had had plenty. His mum had been an excellent mother to him. She still was, providing help in any way she could. She was kind, supportive, and caring, her heart made of pure gold. Even when she couldn’t follow what he was saying, she made sure he knew she was at least listening to his ideas and she never failed to remind him how brilliant she thought he was. His pain she soothed and his dreams she encouraged. Where his excitement was always hers, her love was always his. No matter what.</p><p>He had had a father figure too. Coulson had cared for him like a son, had been there at some of his lowest lows and celebrated his greatest achievements. He knew what it felt like to have a father’s unconditional pride. </p><p>Yet, the scars left by Alistar Fitz, though greatly healed after all these years, had still left their mark on Fitz’s psyche. He would never abandon his girls, ever. That he knew for certain. However, he worried about the short fuse wired to his frustration, his anxieties bleeding into his parenting, and a whole host of other faults he saw in himself. He kept most of his fears to himself at first, but remembering the promise he and Bobbi had made to never keep things from one another he eventually shared them.</p><p>The first time he fully voiced his anxieties to Bobbi had been the third night after they had adopted the girls. Suzie and Clem had gone down to bed quickly with Bobbi stroking their hair and singing them their songs. Meanwhile, Fitz had been doing his nightly task of cleaning up dinner. That day also happened to have been a rougher one. Suzie had desperately wanted a sweet right before dinner and no amount of bargaining and bartering would deter her. Fitz had felt his patience start to dwindle, but a package being delivered at the door had snapped Susanna’s focus away and the sweet incident had passed. Unfortunately it had uprooted an anxiety Fitz had been burying. </p><p>Bobbi glided into the kitchen and took the towel from off Fitz’s shoulder, replacing it with a kiss before she picked up a dish to dry.</p><p>“They were exhausted little things,” she said, “baby bird went down in an instant. Barely got to the second verse before she started snoring.”</p><p>Unable to see his face, it was Fitz’s silence that sparked Bobbi’s concern. She put the plate she was drying back on the counter, putting her hand on the back of Fitz's bent neck. “Hey, you okay?” she asked.</p><p>He mumbled his response to the citrus scented soap. “Bobbi, do you think I’m a good da?”</p><p>“Of course I do, Fitz. You’re a wonderful father.” He ducked his head a bit lower, but Bobbi caught his chin, pulling up his face to meet hers. “Look at me, love,” she said, “you’re an amazing father, a devoted husband, and a good man.”</p><p>Pulling away, he leaned against the kitchen counter and pinched the bridge of his nose.</p><p>“Fitz, you know you can talk to me. What’s going through your head?”</p><p>“I nearly yelled at Suzie today,” he confessed. He dropped his hands to his sides. “She just wouldn’t relent about those biscuits and her shouting was making Clem upset and I just--I almost snapped.”</p><p>Surprisingly to Fitz, Bobbi gave him a sympathetic smile. “Clem almost made me cry that first night, you remember? She wouldn’t stop sobbing and I didn’t know how to help. I’d done so well with them on the way to bed that it almost hurt more that she had woken up so terribly.”</p><p>“That wasn’t your fault,” Fitz said.</p><p>“And Suzie’s sweet tooth wasn’t yours. They’re kids, Fitz. Kids are tough sometimes.”</p><p>Fitz pushed away from the counter and rubbed his forehead. “It wasn’t Suzie, it was me. My temper. I just--I don’t want to do something that might frighten them. I don’t want them to see me like that. I want them to always know that I love them. I don’t want to let them down. I don’t want to let you down.”</p><p>“You could never,” Bobbi said, coming to wrap her arms firmly around her husband’s chest. “You know how I know?”</p><p>“How?”</p><p>“Because you don’t want to. Because you work to be good. You’re human Fitz, we both are. The best parents in the world have their worst days. And just the fact that you’re worried about all this shows me that that's not the parent you’ll be.” </p><p>He held her tight in the dim light above the sink, breathing in the scent of her floral shampoo as he ran his fingers across the hem of her cotton shirt. He grounded himself in that moment, trying desperately to cling to Bobbi’s belief in him. But the bricks of insecurities he’d built around his brain all these years often made it hard for him to hear any positive words sent his way. It was something both he and Bobbi were aware of and, knowing this, Bobbi became determined to show him instead of tell. </p><p>---</p><p>There were many instances where Fitz proved he was a great father. In fact, Bobbi had seen it that very first night with the girls. When Clementine had been inconsolable, her panic a mystery and her tears dripping endlessly down her face, Fitz had been the one to find the solution. He could keep Suzie entertained for hours with his stories and he knew all the ways to get her to laugh. He was so gentle with them, careful while brushing their hair, attentive when they talked to him, and always willing to reread the same story in one sitting, even when they said “again” eight thousand times. </p><p>“We can never discourage reading,” he always said. </p><p>And yet, he was worried about being a terrible father. Bobbi knew why he felt the way he did, but she wished she could show him what she saw in him instead. She knew she could never fully get him to see himself the way she saw him, but she wanted to at least try. </p><p>The idea came to her when she caught him singing to himself in the kitchen. She was mostly in charge of the bedtime routine while Fitz handled dinner clean up, lunch prep, and the rest of the night routine. Normally she would greet him with a kiss on the cheek and help dry whatever plates or cups he hadn’t gotten to yet. However, that night she stayed quiet and listened to him singing with the chirping crickets outside. </p><p>
  <em>I come from Alabama with</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A banjo on my knee</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm goin'to Louisiana</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My true love for to see</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh Susanna</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh don't you cry for me</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I've come from Alabama with</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My banjo on my knee</em>
</p><p>He was singing one of his daughter’s songs. And that’s when the plan hit her.</p><p>---</p><p>It was a warm night at the end of July, the summer heat still clinging to the Earth as stars began to speckle the sky. Bobbi had opened all the windows in the house, so, in spite of the heat, the rooms were airy and had the added bonus of smelling like freshly mowed grass.</p><p>The girls were in the bathroom getting ready for bed. Susanna could be heard singing through toothpaste from all the way down the hall and Clem was giggling at her sister’s added dance moves. After checking that they were properly brushing their teeth, Bobbi made her way into the kitchen. She found Fitz piling the dirty dishes next to the sink for washing just as he did every night. This night, however, she caught his hands in hers. </p><p>“Hey,” he said, giving her a peck on the lips, “are the girls almost ready for bed?”</p><p>“Almost. Suzie still has a few more numbers before the curtains close.”</p><p>“Good. I wanted to catch the finale.”</p><p>The both smiled, mimicking their daughter’s flourishing bow. </p><p>Bobbi leaned her chin on his shoulder. He twisted his head to kiss her brow bone and she closed her eyes at the nice feeling of his soft lips paired with his scruff.</p><p>“Speaking of the girls going to bed,” she said, her eyes still closed, “I was wondering if you could handle the bedtime routine tonight. I’ve got to finish up on that paperwork and send the email off before eleven.”</p><p>“Course,” Fitz replied. His answer was immediate, but she could see in his jaw that he was a bit nervous about getting the little ones to bed. </p><p>“Thank you,” Bobbi said, kissing his cheek again. “I’ll do the dishes, when I’m finished.”</p><p>He pressed his back into her and leaned his head back. “We’ll do the dishes. Teamwork.”</p><p>“It makes the dream work.”</p><p>Fitz turned around to face her. “Makes the dream work?”</p><p>“Have you not heard that expression,” she said amusedly. </p><p>“Obviously not. Must be a stupid American saying.”</p><p>Bobbi laughed and pushed him towards the hallway. “Go help the girls.”</p><p>---</p><p>Susanna and Clementine were always good about getting their beds, they just weren’t great about actually going to sleep. Suzie liked to bounce about for a while and Clem often needed a bit of cuddling before she could really fall off into dreamland.  </p><p>Bobbi could hear them from the kitchen as well as Fitz’s voice as he corralled out of the bathroom and to their room. Their voices, however, were soft in the partial darkness of the house. Something about the yellow lamplight and the high ceilings made it all seem more serene. Even the stressful night time routine simply felt homey. </p><p>Still, she knew Fitz was probably feeling a bit more stressed than her. But she knew he had the night under more control than he realized. </p><p>When she heard the door to the girl’s room shut, Bobbi snuck down the hall to listen in at the keyhole. She sat with her back up against the wall beside the door, knowing better than actually leaning against the entrance to the room. Fitz had nearly fallen over when she had opened the door on him that first night. </p><p>“Can you tell us a story, Fitz?” Suzie said, her voice filled with slapp happy energy. </p><p>“Of course, little bird,” he replied. Bobbi heard the creaking of a mattress and knew Fitz had sat on the end of one of their beds. </p><p>Bobbi listened as intently as the girls, no other sounds in the house except Fitz’s rendition of <em>Goodnight Moon </em>and the chirping of crickets.</p><p>When next Suzie spoke, Fitz having finished the book twice over, she was much calmer. Her voice was just below her normal volume and sweetened by oncoming sleep. </p><p>“Are you going to sing us our songs, Fitz?”</p><p>“You’d like me to?” he asked. </p><p>It was Clem that replied. “Yes, please. Suzie’s song gets singed first.”</p><p>“Suzie’s get’s sung first?”</p><p>“Mmhmm.”</p><p>“Alright. What’s my starting note?”</p><p>Suzie and Clem sang the first word and then Fitz took it from there.</p><p>
  <em>I come from Alabama with</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A banjo on my knee</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm goin'to Louisiana</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My true love for to see</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh Susanna</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh don't you cry for me</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I've come from Alabama with</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My banjo on my knee</em>
</p><p>Bobbi had heard Fitz sing before and had always been taken with his voice. It was warm like firelight, low and soft with a hint of raspiness hidden in a few of the notes. She could hear him sing for hours. There was something special about him singing these songs, however. He wasn’t just carrying a tune. He was singing with everything in his soul. </p><p>By the time the lullaby was over, Bobbi heard Susanna’s light telltale snoring. Knowing the girl’s bedtime routine, though, she was unsurprised to clear Clementine’s little voice pipe up.</p><p>“Can you sing my song next, Fitz?” she said, her voice as light and sweet as summer breeze.</p><p>“Oh course, my darling Clementine.”</p><p>Bobbi heard a few footsteps and another creaking of mattresses. Suzie liked for one of them to sit by her, but Clem fell quickly asleep if you stroked her hair. It had been Fitz that had discovered the trick that first night when she had awoken from night terrors. Bobbi had been unable to rock her to bed, sitting in the chair with the little one on her lap in inconsolable hysterics. </p><p>Fitz had seen the fear in Bobbi’s eyes and had traded places, sitting Clementine on his lap. He had soothingly shushed her, lulling her back to sleep by softly pushing her hair off her face. It had taken all of a couple of minutes to calm Clem back down. </p><p>Picturing him tenderly brushing Clementine’s hair behind her ear, Bobbi tilted her head to better hear what was happening in the room. With Susanna asleep, the second song was sung much fainter.    </p><p>
  <em>Oh my darling, oh my darling</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh my darling, Clementine</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My dear monkey, how I adore you</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh my darling, Clementine.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Under blue skies, in the green grass</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Where we play throughout the day</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I’ve found something just like sunshine</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In my darling Clementine</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh my darling, oh my darling</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh my darling, Clementine</em>
</p><p>
  <em>We were lost, but then we found you</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh my darling, Clementine</em>
</p><p>Even if she didn’t have to keep quiet because of two sleeping children, Bobbi wouldn’t know what to say. Tears had pooled along the rims of her eyes as her husband’s melodic voice sunk into her skin. </p><p>He opened the door quietly, smiling as he looked down at her.</p><p>“You spying on me, love?” he said, repeating her own phrasing back at her. But then he caught the tears pouring down her cheeks and the smile quickly faded from his face.</p><p>“Hey hey hey,” he said, coming to sit down on the floor next to her, “is everything okay? What’s wrong?”</p><p>“Nothing’s wrong, Fitz,” she said, pulling his arm around his shoulder and burying her face into his chest. </p><p>He held onto her firmly. “But you’re crying,” he said, confused. </p><p>“Because you’re a great dad, Fitz.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Really.”</p><p>She tilted his head to hers and there, sitting side by side on the floor outside their daughters’ room, she kissed him soundly. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The heat of August faded to breezy September; school began and Bobbi was struck by just how strange time was. It seemed like just yesterday on a muggy July afternoon that she and Fitz had decided to take the plunge and adopt the two girls that had visited their house for the weekend, and now here she was, waiting for them at the bus stop. Suburbia wasn’t as boring as Bobbi expected it to be; instead of feeling like the world was rolling on without her, she was swept up in her own little universe with her husband and her daughters. Most days she didn’t even think about S.H.I.E.L.D., let alone miss it.</p><p>The brakes on the lumbering yellow school bus screeched when it rolled to a stop on the corner, and ten seconds later Bobbi had an armful of skinny eight-year-old.</p><p>“What’s new, Suzie Q?” Bobbi asked, brushing Susanna’s brunette hair out of her eyes. Bobbi made a mental note to schedule haircuts for Fitz and the girls; even though she loved when Fitz’s hair got long and curly, he was less of a fan when it got in the way of his work, which was bound to happen soon.</p><p>“I have a science test on Monday,” Suzie announced, grabbing onto Bobbi’s hand and coming to stand beside her while they waited for Clementine to get off the bus. “I’m going to ask Fitz to help me study the solar system.” Neither of the girls had gotten around to calling Bobbi and Fitz mum and da yet, which didn’t bother Bobbi as much as she thought it would - they were still her babies whether they were ready to call her their mum yet or not.</p><p>“You should ask him about the time he went to space,” Bobbi said after checking to make sure none of the other parents were in earshot.</p><p>“Fitz has <em>not</em> been to space! Only astronauts have been to space!”</p><p>“Fitz has,” Bobbi promised.</p><p>“Have you been to space?” Suzie asked, blinking up at Bobbi with wide brown eyes.</p><p>“No, I haven’t.”</p><p>“Fitz went <em>without</em> you!?”</p><p>“He did.”</p><p>“That wasn’t very nice of him.” Susanna crossed her arms and Bobbi winced internally. She had a feeling Fitz was going to get a stern talking to, but it was a little too late to explain why Fitz had gone to space, and why Bobbi hadn’t been with him.</p><p>A minute later Clem shuffled off the bus, clutching her monkey lunchbox tightly against her chest. She hadn’t done as well adjusting to the new school as Suzie had, which didn’t surprise Bobbi despite how much she had hoped otherwise. As soon as her feet were on the solid asphalt she ran into Bobbi’s arms, wrapping her arms tightly around Bobbi’s legs.</p><p>“Hey there, little monkey.” Bobbi lifted Clementine into her arms with a soft grunt. At seven years old she was probably too big to be carried around, but Bobbi hadn’t kept up with her fitness routine just to look good.</p><p>Clem didn’t answer, just buried her face into Bobbi’s neck and held on tighter. Apparently today had been worse than usual.</p><p>Suzie chattered along, happy to hold onto Bobbi’s hand and talk enough for both her and her sister while they walked the half a block back to the house.</p><p>Bobbi put Clem down when they were inside the door, and just as expected she made a beeline for the armchair where Fitz was sitting, his reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose as he flipped through a stack of grant proposals.</p><p>“Fitz! Fitz!” Suzie said, charging in after Clem. “Is it true that you went to space?”</p><p>Fitz looked over his shoulder at Bobbi, who shrugged. “Why yes, yes it is.” He pulled Suzie to sit on his knee that wasn’t currently occupied by Clementine. “Let me tell you all about it.”</p><p>“Why wasn’t Bobbi there?” Susanna asked before Fitz could even get started.</p><p>“Because she and Uncle Hunter had to make sure the rest of the world stayed safe while I was gone. It’s a very important job, you know.” Suzie nodded sagely, and Bobbi prayed that she would be able to stay this young and innocent forever, when stories about going to space were bedtime fairy tales instead of harsh, unfriendly reminders of encroaching darkness.</p><p>“Now, let me start from the beginning…”</p><p>---</p><p>“Susanna now knows all of the planets in this solar system,” Fitz announced, sliding into bed next to Bobbi. “And some in other solar systems, too.”</p><p>“I don’t think public schools teach about Maveth, sweetheart,” Bobbi said, amused.</p><p>“Well they ought to,” Fitz grumbled.</p><p>“Next you’ll be saying we should teach them about Kitson, too.”</p><p>“No one is allowed to learn about Kitson until they’re old enough to do puffies.”</p><p>“Why are you acting like they’ll ever go there?” Bobbi laughed. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not planning on letting Suzie or Clem go to any casinos on this planet, let alone another one.”</p><p>“I’m just saying there are stories they don’t need to know yet, is all.” </p><p>Bobbi nodded, sliding down in bed until she could rest her head against Fitz’s shoulder. “I wish we didn’t have so much to hide from them.”</p><p>“We’re being as honest as we can,” Fitz said. “No one is going to believe Suzie if she says I went to space, anyways.”</p><p>“That’s probably true.” Their older daughter did have a propensity for the make-believe. Clementine had been listening too, though, and she was much less prone to flights of fancy than her sister; if she said something the adults in her life might at least consider it before dismissing her.</p><p>The door to the master bedroom creaked open, and Bobbi sat up when she saw Clementine standing in the doorway, clutching Mack the monkey with a white-knuckled grip.</p><p>“Hey, darling,” Bobbi said softly. “What’s the matter?”</p><p>“The Chronicoms are going to get me!” Clementine burst out. “They’re going to come in the night and steal my face!”</p><p>“Fitz!” Bobbi said, whipping her head towards her husband. “You told them about the Chronicoms!?” She had left him to his storytelling and homework assistance while she made dinner, assuming Fitz would know what was appropriate for children - and given his reaction to talking about Kitson, she <em>thought</em> she had assumed correctly.</p><p>“It slipped out!”</p><p>“Come here, Clem.” Bobbi sighed, opening her arms. Clementine scrambled into bed eagerly, one arm still tight around her stuffed monkey.</p><p>“Can I sleep with you tonight?”</p><p>“You know there aren’t any Chronicoms anymore, right, baby?” Bobbi asked, smoothing a hand through Clementine’s strawberry-blonde hair.</p><p>“That’s not what da said,” Clem sniffed.</p><p>Bobbi glared at Fitz over their daughter’s head. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“He said the Chronicoms are good now but they’re still here and they can still take my face!” Clem squeaked. “<em>Please</em> can I sleep with you tonight?”</p><p>Bobbi sighed, but there was no way she could say no to the blue eyes that reminded her so much of Fitz’s, or the tiny little lip that had snuck out in a pout. “Of course, Clem. Come on, get under the covers.” Bobbi lifted the duvet and Clementine climbed under obediently, burrowing in between her parents. </p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>“Looks like we’re going to sleep now,” Bobbi told Fitz. Clem’s bedtime was half an hour ago and they weren't going to keep her up any later, especially if she was going to be woken up by nightmares thanks to an unnecessarily detailed story.</p><p>“Goodnight,” Clem whispered, voice small, when Bobbi flicked the light out.</p><p>“Goodnight, my darling Clementine,” Bobbi murmured, pressing a kiss into her daughter’s hair.</p><p>Fitz would get a goodnight when he could stop accidentally traumatizing his children.</p><p>---</p><p>“<em>Mummy!</em>” Bobbi woke up to the sound of a screeching child, and it took her longer to realize it wasn’t Clementine who was shouting at her, but Susanna. </p><p>“What’s the matter, baby?” Bobbi asked blearily, rubbing at her eyes as Susanna crawled into the bed, kneeing Bobbi in the ribs along the way.</p><p>“There’s a Chronicom in my closet.”</p><p>She was going to kill Fitz.</p><p>“I’m sure there’s not, lovey,” Bobbi said, pulling Suzie into a tight hug. “Do you want me to go with you and check?”</p><p>“No,” Suzie said, burying her head in Bobbi’s chest. “I wanna stay with you.”</p><p>“Whassamatter?” Fitz slurred, half-awake.</p><p>“There’s a Chronicom in Suzie’s closet,” Bobbi said, hoping her husband heard the disapproval in her voice. He probably didn’t, given he was practically asleep, but a woman could dream.</p><p>“She can sleep with us,” Fitz sighed. Clementine was still between them, though she had migrated closer to Fitz in the night. More importantly, Mack the monkey was still safe in her arms so there wouldn’t be a meltdown in the morning.</p><p>“Can I?” Suzie asked, voice trembling.</p><p>“Yes, baby. You can sleep with us,” Bobbi answered. It was easier just to agree than to fight with her about monsters in her closet.</p><p>Suzie let out a happy sigh, but rather than come under the covers with her sister, she just laid her head down on Bobbi’s chest. Apparently Bobbi was going to be the new mattress for the night. She pressed her nose into Suzie’s hair, the scent of strawberry shampoo filling her senses. It took no time at all for Susanna’s breathing to even out, quickly followed by Fitz’s; the minute-long conversation hadn’t even woken Clementine.</p><p>Bobbi took another deep breath, and let sleep pull her back under.</p><p>---</p><p>“I told the girls there are no more evil Chronicoms, and their faces are safe,” Fitz said, sliding his arms around Bobbi’s waist while she finished washing the breakfast dishes.</p><p>“And did they believe you?”</p><p>“That remains to be seen.” Fitz kissed Bobbi’s cheek gently. “Did you hear what they said last night?”</p><p>“I did, why?”</p><p>“Well, Clem called me <em>da</em> and Suzie called you <em>mummy</em>, so I think me scaring them out of their wits was good for something.”</p><p>“That doesn’t mean you have permission to do it again. I prefer when it’s just us in our bed.” Bobbi said, mostly to avoid admitting she hadn’t actually registered the significance of the words the night previous, probably thanks to the exhaustion. She already knew Clem and Suzie were her children, and having them officially acknowledge it didn’t seem all that important - though the warmth spreading through her chest made her realize it was more important than she had allowed herself to think.</p><p>“I agree.” Fitz kissed her cheek again before stepping back. “Now I just need a <em>da</em> from Suz and you need a <em>mum</em> from Clem.”</p><p>“Fitz, I don’t think -”</p><p>“Mummy!” Clem said, scurrying into the kitchen. “You gotta help! I got syrup on Mack!”</p><p>“Syrup on Mack!?” Bobbi repeated, raising the pitch of her voice to match Clementine’s enthusiasm. “Bring him here, we’ll see if we can get him nice and clean.” Bobbi paused, reaching for Clementine. “Maybe we should wash your hands first, monkey.”</p><p>“But <em>mum</em>! Mack!”</p><p>“Yeah, mum. Mack.” Fitz grinned at her before leaning in to brush his lips over hers. </p><p>“Don’t start, you,” Bobbi warned.</p><p>“I’m going to go make sure Suzie isn’t also taking a syrup bath.”</p><p>“Telling her to clean up isn’t going to get her to call you da any faster,” Bobbi said, smirking.</p><p>“That is not at all my intent.”</p><p>“Uh huh,” Bobbi replied. She turned back to Clementine. “Come here, lovey. I promise we’ll get Mack clean as soon as you are.”</p><p>Clementine sighed in an overdramatic way that reminded Bobbi too much of Fitz before relenting, letting Bobbi lift her up so she could reach the sink. Standing there with her daughter in her arms and Saturday morning sunlight drizzling in through the windows, Bobbi’s heart felt warmer and fuller than it had been in a long, long time.</p><p>She was somebody’s <em>mum</em>.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Mum!” Bobbi sat up on the sofa when she heard the front door slam open, followed by her daughter’s voice. A minute later Susanna was running into the family room, and she was one step away from flinging herself onto the sofa with Bobbi when Fitz caught her by the shoulders.</p><p>“I told you mum’s not feeling well, Suz. Let’s let her rest, yeah?”</p><p>“But -” Susanna said, lower lip trembling.</p><p>“It’s fine, Fitz,” Bobbi said, giving him a weak smile. “What’s new, Suzie Q?” she asked, throwing her legs over the side of the sofa so there was a place for her daughter to sit.</p><p>“I missed you at the bus stop,” Suzie answered, flopping onto the couch. “Are you okay?”</p><p>“I’m fine, lovey. Just a little tired,” Bobbi assured her daughter, running her hand through Susanna’s hair. </p><p>“Mum?” Clementine asked, slinking into the room. “You’d tell us if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?”</p><p>“Of course, monkey.” Bobbi scooted closer to Suzie so there was room for Clem on her other side. “I don’t keep secrets from my girls, do I?” That had been one of her and Fitz’s policies since they started parenting; anything that was appropriate and helpful for the girls to know, they would be told. She and her husband had both learned in their lives that keeping secrets just bred resentment and created heartache.</p><p>“No,” Clem agreed, snuggling into Bobbi’s side. </p><p>“Do you have homework?” Bobbi asked. Susanna had just started fifth grade and her amount of homework was increasing to prepare her for middle school; Clementine was a year behind in fourth grade, but she was in advanced math that gave more homework than her on-grade-level counterparts had.</p><p>“Yes,” they chorused, groaning.</p><p>“Why don’t you go get started? Da can help you if you need it.” Bobbi kissed both her daughters on the tops of their heads before sending them off to the kitchen table to begin their homework.</p><p>“What did the doctor say?” Fitz asked under his breath, replacing Susanna’s spot on the couch.</p><p>“I’ll tell you after the girls are asleep.”</p><p>Fitz’s eyes flashed with worry. “Bobbi -”</p><p>“Hey. It’s nothing bad. We just need to talk.” She leaned forward to tap her lips against Fitz’s. “Trust me?”</p><p>Fitz reached up to cradle her face with his hand. “Always.” He pecked her lips one more time before retreating to the kitchen with their daughters. Bobbi gathered the cocoon of blankets she had been resting underneath and took them and her ginger tea with her to the bedroom. The doctor had told her in no uncertain terms she needed to be resting more, and Bobbi was inclined to believe him after the day she’d had. She tumbled into bed, drawing her blankets close around her. They smelled faintly of her daughters from where the girls had been sitting on them, and Bobbi let the familiarity wash over her and pull her into dreamland.</p><p>---</p><p>“What’s going on?” Fitz asked the moment the bedroom door was shut behind them. Clementine had just asked for her third glass of water, which meant she was <em>probably</em> about to go to sleep for the night, and Bobbi had to make good on her promise.</p><p>“You asked what the doctor said,” Bobbi sighed, pulling out her nightstand drawer and withdrawing an envelope with her test results in it. “So, here you go.”</p><p>Fitz opened the envelope, brow furrowing when he saw what slid out. “This is an ultrasound.”</p><p>“Yes, yes it is.” Bobbi waited patiently for Fitz to put the pieces together, and it didn’t take him as long as she had expected.</p><p>“You’re -? But -”</p><p>“The doctor recommended you go get retested, because our two options are this is a miracle baby or being frozen for seventy-someodd years didn’t actually nuke your sperm the way we were told it did.” Bobbi caught her lower lip between her teeth. “Unless you want to consider the alternative, which I’m not really up for talking about right now.” She knew that she would never be unfaithful to Fitz, but the question was whether or not he knew the same; would he be more willing to believe the impossible had happened and she’d gotten pregnant when the doctor had told Fitz there was no way for him to father a child, or would he jump to other, less savory, conclusions?</p><p>“Bobbi. I know you didn’t cheat on me.” Relief flooded her, followed by other emotions Bobbi wasn’t sure she understood but were making it difficult to keep a straight face.</p><p>
  <em>Don’t start crying, don’t start crying -</em>
</p><p>“Hey, hey,” Fitz said, wrapping her into a hug as the first sob bubbled out. “I would never think that about you. Ever.”</p><p>“But -”</p><p>“No buts.” He squeezed her closer. “A <em>baby</em>. Wow.”</p><p>“You’re happy?” Bobbi sniffled. She had guessed how he’d react, but there was always going to be a little bit of fear involved in telling her husband their lives were about to be turned upside down again.</p><p>“Happy?” Fitz repeated. “I’m <em>ecstatic</em>. A baby!” </p><p>“A baby,” Bobbi agreed, sniffling again. “The doctor said I’m eight weeks, which means there’s another month before we’re supposed to tell anyone, but…”</p><p>“But you want to tell the girls,” Fitz surmised, backing out of the hug so he could look Bobbi in the eye. “If you want to do it, I’m here.”</p><p>“I just don’t want them to think we’re replacing them,” Bobbi said, wiping at her eyes. “This wasn’t the plan.” Having a biological child had never been a possibility after Fitz’s time in cryofreeze, but that hadn’t bothered Bobbi or Fitz overmuch; adopting was just a different way to build a family, and one they were excited to try. Clem and Suzie had always been their plan, and adding another child into the mix unexpectedly felt unfair to their daughters.</p><p>“They won’t think that,” Fitz assured her. “Let yourself be <em>happy</em>, Bobbi.” He paused. “Unless -?”</p><p>“I - no, I want the baby,” Bobbi said, a protective hand coming to cradle her still-flat stomach. “But there’s so much else to think about.” How their daughters would react, whether or not they’d have to move so the baby could have its own room, what their <em>families</em> would say…</p><p>“Stop thinking for a while,” Fitz urged her, reaching up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Be happy.”</p><p>“Okay.” Bobbi bent down so she could kiss Fitz soundly. It was easier not to think about her worries when he was close enough for her to smell his cologne. “Okay, I’m happy.”</p><p>---</p><p>They had decided to wait until the weekend to tell the girls the big news in case there were any meltdowns related to learning there was going to be another child in the house.</p><p>Friday night was the only night of the week when the Morse family got fast food, and the girls had unanimously decided on McDonald’s. Both were happily munching on chicken nuggets while Bobbi tried to force down some French fries.</p><p>“Still nauseous?” Fitz asked under his breath, reaching a hand under the table to squeeze her knee. Bobbi sighed and nodded. Unrelenting nausea had been what inspired her to go to the doctor in the first place, but unfortunately knowing the cause hadn’t helped her symptoms at all.</p><p>“I’m sorry.” He leaned over to kiss her temple softly. “Do you want me to get you some crackers?”</p><p>Bobbi sighed but nodded. Clem and Suzie were still worried about her and her newly-found propensity for sleeping in, and she didn’t think throwing up in front of them would help assuage those fears. Fitz squeezed her knee before departing to the pantry. He tried to be subtle when he slid the packet of saltines to her, but he wasn’t subtle enough to escape the eagle eyes of a ten-year-old.</p><p>“Mum?” Susanna asked. She didn’t need to say any more for Bobbi to understand what she meant, and Bobbi sighed.</p><p>“Da and I have something we want to tell you,” she said, pushing her food aside. “Nothing is wrong,” she repeated for what felt like the hundredth time that week, “but things are going to change a little, okay?”</p><p>Suzie and Clem nodded slowly.</p><p>“I…” the words fizzled out before Bobbi could say them. She turned to Fitz for help and he grabbed her hand.</p><p>"Your mum is going to have a baby,” Fitz said.</p><p>Bobbi nearly jumped out of her chair when Susanna’s response was to <em>shriek</em>. She clapped her hands, then slid out of her chair so she could run over to Bobbi’s and throw herself on her mother.</p><p>“I get another baby sister!?!”</p><p>“Or brother,” Fitz corrected. “We don’t know yet.”</p><p>“I want a brother!” Clementine announced.</p><p>“Sister!”</p><p>“Brother!”</p><p>“<em>Sister</em>!”</p><p>“My girls,” Bobbi interrupted. “We’re going to love the baby no matter what gender they are, okay? Boy, girl, both, neither - they’re still your sibling, right?”</p><p>“Right,” Suzie said, clambering onto Bobbi’s lap. “But I still think a sister would be cooler. Then there’d be three of us!”</p><p>“Do we get to pick the baby’s name?” Clementine asked, also leaving her dinner place so she could stand by Bobbi’s chair. Her lap wasn’t big enough for both girls, but Bobbi draped an arm around Clem’s shoulders so she wouldn’t feel left out. </p><p>“We’ll think about it,” Bobbi acquiesced. “The baby isn’t coming for a while, okay? And for now it’s a secret.”</p><p>“A secret?” Clem repeated. “From everyone?”</p><p>“From everyone,” Fitz asserted. They were going to tell the rest of their family at the twelve-week mark like they were technically supposed to.</p><p>“Even Mack?”</p><p>“You can tell Mack the monkey,” Bobbi said, “but not Uncle Mack the human.”</p><p>
“Why would I want to tell Uncle Mack?” Clem asked, face screwing up. “I like Mack the monkey better.”</p><p><em>Ouch,</em> Fitz mouthed to Bobbi behind Clementine’s back. Bobbi smiled fondly at him. Apparently her worry about telling the girls had been unfounded; they both seemed happy about the coming change. Maybe the worries would come later, when the baby wasn’t a novelty to chatter and ask endless questions about, or maybe this one time, they were going to get lucky and everything would go right.</p><p>Bobbi kissed Susanna’s cheek softly, snuggling her daughter closer. No matter what happened, she would always have her husband and her first two babies - and they would only have more happy memories to make and clear blue skies to see as a family of five.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy birthday, Zuza! We love you &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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